Zakir Abdul Karim Naik (b. October 18, 1965) is fast-talking Indian Muslim charlatan and Islamic demagogue, and founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).[1] He has been implicated in the Dhaka Attack, money laundering schemes and is currently on the wanted list by Interpol and the Indian National Investigation Agency.[2]

Naik is best known of his ability to fast-talk an audience dropping names (of non-existent persons) and pulling made up facts right out of his posterior to impress his gullible and mostly uneducated audience. In India he was known to have brought with him his own cheering squads from local mosques to applaud him so as to impress the rest of the non-Muslim persons.

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Naik was born in Mumbai, India in 1965 to Abdul Karim Naik, a medical doctor and educator, and Pochamma Naik. He attended St. Peter's School, a coeducational Catholic parochial school in Mumbai. He went on to study at the Kishinchand Chellaram College, a junior and degree college, and at the Topiwala National Medical College, also in Mumbai. He interned at the Nair Hospital which is associated with the TNMC.[3] He earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Mumbai. He is married to Fariq Naik and has two children, Fariq and Rushdaa.

In 1987 Naik met Ahmed Deedat, an Islamic preacher who made an impression on Naik so much so that Naik went into the Dawah (proselytization) business himself in 1991.[1][3] In 2006, Naik founded Peace TV, an all English satellite television network based in Dubai, UAE, which promotes Islam as the solution for all of humanity. He also founded the Islamic International Schools in Mumbai, Chennai and Dubai. The schools in India had operated under the aegis of the IRF which ran the schools. Since the IRF has been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act these schools have been declared illegal.[4]

Naik has claimed in the past to be an Islamic scholar and educated in comparative religion, since several rulings against him by Islamic courts he has refrained from claiming scholarship in Islam.

Naik is known to misrepresent Islam to make it more palatable to a Western audience. This has not sat well with many Muslim councils. There have been about 50 fatwas issued by several Ulema (Councils of Islamic Scholars who a specialists in Islamic jurisprudence) condeming him as a kafir (unbeliever). The Darul Uloom (Hanafi) one of the most respected Ulema in Sunni Islam issued a fiq (an Islamic Judicial ruling) against Naik indicating that while they respect him as an apologist (daii) to the Western World, that no one who is a already a Muslim should give credence to what he has to say on matters concerning Islam as he is not an Alim (scholar). Naik, not knowing Arabic is unable to read source material like the Qur'an, ahadith, Sirat and tafsirs which are all in Arabic. His knowledge of the Qur'an is through phonetic memorization. Without knowledge of the Arabic he cannot attain source knowledge. For this reason he was rejected as a ghair muqallidin (someone who cannot read source material and has no knowledge of the four schools of Sunni Islam). Which leaves one wondering if it is appropriate to spread falsehood about how good Islam is in the Western World to make converts yet be unable to instruct Muslims with the same falsehoods.

He is wanted for questioning in India in relation to a pay for conversion scheme conducted by the IRF. The allegations are that IRF and Naik paid Rs. 50,000 (~ $775) to each of the converts to Islam which was paid for by Saudi Arabia.[6] Paying for conversions is a criminal offence in India. He is also wanted as a person of interest in Bangladesh and in India in relation to the July 2016 Dhaka terror attack.

While originally claimed to have wanting to go to India, but claiming to be unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts, he has since dropped the pretense and has decided not to visit countries depot him back to India.

However, not only is his reasoning extremely fallacious, the premise is completely false, and his claim should set alarm bells ringing in anyone with an elementary knowledge of history. Aristotle proved the earth was spherical as early as the 4th century BCE;[8] the Qu'ran was written in the 7th century CE, by which time this knowledge had spread.

When asked for proof of an afterlife, Naik attempted to prove the existence of an afterlife by claiming that since there might not be adequate punishment for a crime in this world, there must exist a place where such crime can be punished.[12] Assumes perfect justice exists and begs the question. He asks as to how a person who robs and rapes with impunity would receive justice, he suggests the Mafia as an example. Perhaps Zakir Naik might have found a better example if he had a greater knowledge of Islam. Mohammed the prophet of Islam, raided Meccan caravans (Al-Qarada raid was one of these) which eventually precipitated the Battle of Badr. After the Battle of the Trench all the men of the Bedouin Jewish tribe Banu Nadir were executed and the women and girls were distributed among the companions of Mohammed. The night after the battle, after the torture by fire and execution of Kenana ibn al-Rabi[note 1], her husband, execution of her father Huyayy ibn Akhtab and her brother, Mohammed raped, but they call it married Safiyyah bint Huyayy[note 2] in his tent while an armed guard was posted outside.

↑Kinana b. al-Rabi, who had the custody of the treasure of Banu al-Nadir, was brought to the apostle who asked him about it. He denied that he knew where it was. A Jew came to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every morning early. When the apostle said to Kinana, "Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?" he said Yes. The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr b. al-Awwam, "Torture him until you extract what he has," so he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head, in revenge for his brother Mahmud.- Mohammed ibn Ishaq Sirah Rasul Allah (trans. A.Guillaume, Life of Mohammed)

↑Narrated `Abdul `Aziz:Anas said, 'When Allah's Messenger invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there (early in the morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the thigh of the Prophet . He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet. When he entered the town, he said, 'Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.' He repeated this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, 'Muhammad (has come).' (Some of our companions added, "With his army.") We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty was collected. Dihya came and said, 'O Allah's Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.' The Prophet said, 'Go and take any slave girl.' He took Safiya bint Huyai. A man came to the Prophet and said, 'O Allah's Messenger! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the tribes of Quraidha and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.' So the Prophet said, 'Bring him along with her.' So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet saw her, he said to Dihya, 'Take any slave girl other than her from the captives.' Anas added: The Prophet then manumitted her and married her." Thabit asked Anas, "O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet pay her (as Mahr)?" He said, "Her self was her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her." Anas added, "While on the way, Um Sulaim dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet . So the Prophet was a bridegroom and he said, 'Whoever has anything (food) should bring it.' He spread out a leather sheet (for the food) and some brought dates and others cooking butter. (I think he (Anas) mentioned As-Sawaq). So they prepared a dish of Hais (a kind of meal). And that was Walima (the marriage banquet) of Allah's Messenger ."
-Sahih al-Bukhari 371; IBR: Book 8, Hadith 23; USC: Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 367